3.10.11
Well, the day of the Grand Opening is finally upon us, and I can actually say US and mean more than myself and my pets!

In addition to bringing in Kira_of_the_Flame as a second colorist, there's a couple others I'm looking at, at the moment, too, and once all these events settle down a bit, I'll officially open up hiring for more people, as Colorists, part and full, RP managers, and maybe even another shop manager, too, unless someone else proves to be able to keep things under control here :3

EVENT wise, this is what we've got in store for ya so far.

Flatsales~Permas and Growings all over the place. There's too many to go through at once, so they's be divided up into a couple of sets, each with at least 4 growing, and 4 perma woofs. I'm expecting at least 3 more rounds of FS's before the end of the event, and I'll try to give warning before each one.

Round 1 finished!
Round 2 will be 4Stage-ers and more permas.

Raffles~One free raffle that's gonna last the first couple of days of the opening event period.
2 More raffles that have yet to be set up. One for a couple more ~decorated~ growing woofs, and one for a custom growing, or two.

Auctions~Hoo boy. This is where some of the more fun stuff comes in. Trying out line edits, and possibly some of the new lineart that's coming through for the different packs. This is also gonna be the only place so far where you'll be seeing 'tattoo's on the woofs, as there will later on only be a certain way of getting those.

RP Prompts~Definitely look for line edits here. A mix of Perma's and Growings, these woofs are already a bit more involved, some coming with pre-written back-stories, others with hidden futures laid out for them. These puppies(lol) will be dropped into play throughout the event, and possibly even after.

SCAVENGER HUNT!OH BOY. >w> This is possibly one of my favorite things to do. These will be completely random, asking for ANYTHING, with ANY kind of time limit, from a few minutes, to a few hours. Winning one of these will get you anything from a grab bag perma, to a full custom growing, so sticking around in thread can be a good idea. Scavenger hunts will be posted in thread, and will NOT be announced, before or after. Past winners can be seen in the Events post~!

More will be added to this as the event goes on :3

3.9.11
Well, the day of the Grand opening is soon to be upon us, and preparations are underway. The 9th will, mostly, be dedicated to finishing up event woofs, and setting up the different threads. Wish us luck~!

2. REAL LIFE HAPPENS. There may be periods of time where I disappear for a few days (3 or more) with no notice. I'm sorry in advance, cause I know it will happen. This may delay.. well.. EVERYTHING for the span that I'm gone. But real live takes precedence over Gaia. I will try to give warnings of when I may be away longer than a day or two at a time, and these will be in the first posts (as long as I remember. I can be forgetful, so, again, sorry in advance. x3 )

3. .... There is no rule 3.

4. Do NOT beg/guilt trip/complain about not getting/wanting a pet someone else got. Not only is it rude, but it will probably lessen your changes in getting one durring later events that are not based on time. Yes, I will keep up with who is immature about this stuff and WILL hold 'bad sportsmanship' against you. Vice Versa, Good sportsmanship will be rewarded with extra opportunities and/or vouchers/points(to be decided) to make getting a woof easier.

::F.A.Q.::
Ask some stuff~!

::RP::
Q: ARE THESE RP MANDATORY/INTENSIVE?--A: Only if you want them to be. We don't mind a grab and go.

::Breeding::
Q: WHICH WOLVES CAN BREED?---A: Any wolf can breed that is Teen or Adult, as long as the owner is not Grey or Black Listed.

Q: ...MY WOLF IS GAY. CAN IT STILL MAKE BABIES?---A: Nature says no, sorry. Unless there's some mighty powerful forces of magic at work (Which, there's not) a surrogate mother/father will be needed in making the babies.

Q: CAN I BREED MY WOLVES TOGETHER?---A: I don't see why not. As long as one is male, and the other is female (Or the above questions solution), and both are at least at teen stage, then yes.

Q: HOW COME MY LITTER WAS SO MUCH SMALLER THAN X's LITTER?---A: Either it was bad luck with the dice, or one (or both) wolves are Teens. A litter will always be at least 3 wolves, but may be as many as 8 or 9. However, throwing a Teen in the mix will cut the litter size down, because they are younger, and unless it's shown through RP that they CAN INDEED TAKE CARE OF A FULL LITTER, then it will be halved. Also, if a Teen is in the mix, fertility totems will not take effect until the wolf reaches adult stage.

Q: WHAT'S A FERTILITY TOTEM?---A: That's something that will be available in the shop once it opens, and can be purchased one per wolf, Designated to that wolf, and will ensure one extra pup during breeding. Each parent may be in possession of a fertility totem, allowing for a guaranteed additional 2 pups per litter.

Q: WHAT'S THIS ABOUT ONLY ONE MATE? I WANT MY WOLF TO MATE WITH X, Y, and Z!---A: Unfortunately, that's not normally how it works with wolves. One of the few creatures that are actually know for their behavior of 'mating for life', wolves have been known to never mate again once their mate dies. There are rare occurrences when breeding rights are shared between alphas and betas, but those rights are normally reserved between the mating couple.

Q: SO... I CAN'T HAVE MY WOLF HAVE MULTIPLE MATES?---A: You can, but these other relationships must be established and maintained through RP. In other words, they have to be 'REAL' mates, not just a drive by breeding. (In OTHER other words, multiple mates is one of the few RP reserved privileges).

Q: IF WOLVES FROM TWO DIFFERENT PACKS HAVE PUPS, HOW DOES THE SEPARATE LINEART WORK?---A:...This.. is a really good question... And I mean really really good. MOST likely, it would be the parent/owners choice for the 'kept pup(s)' and the others would be done in a mix-up of the two pack's pup lines, and wherever they end up(future owners) could swap for the other pack if they choose, but those pups would MOST likely be in the two pack linearts. If the default lines are wanted though, they can be requested, but for pup and child, they'd remain in the pack lines because they would still be dependent on the parents, unless some other RP factor breaks them away from their home packs/adopted by another wolf, or...uh........ Still working out details on that ^_^' But there's kind of an explanation.

::: Packs :::

Q: AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE IF SOMEONE WANTS TO START THEIR OWN PACK? WILL THAT BE ALLOWED? AND IF SO, WILL THEY GET THEIR OWN PACK'S LINE? ---A: Yep. If someone wants to start their own pack (which will be available once the current pack lines are finished) new lineart for that pack will also be made. until it's done, though, the default lines would probably be used, and wolves switched over as the lines are finished. If no one wants to start their own pack right away, I'll start on new lines for a 5th pack anyway, and maybe do a meta plot on it's development.

Q: WHICH WOLVES CAN START A PACK?---A: Any adult, mated wolves that have proven themselves to be Alpha's. In other words, starting a pack, and in most cases, becoming an Alpha, will require RP. 'not!Packs' can be formed of a single owners wolves, but as the name implies, these are not legitimate packs, and would act more like a band of stragglers rather than an actual pack.

The most widespread canine in the world is the wolf, it's relations spanning every continent but Antarctica, making the wild canine one of the worlds most common land predators. As such, there isn't a single habitat these creatures haven't adapted to, be it the sandy desert plains or frozen arctic tundra, grassy savannah lands or lush mountain forests, no land is off limits... Well. As long as it's not overrun with humans, that is.

The little pockets of wilderness where these wolves can live 'in peace' have become few and far between. One such region is in the Cascadia mountain range, north of Mount Hood along the Columbia River Gorge, this area has been set aside with a number of parks set aside to preserve the natural wilderness that is slowly disappearing from the world.

"This is where our we came from, and this is where out pack will remain."

If you are RPing your woof, then the time for growing's will be a lot looser. Some people may want to keep their wolf at a certain stage longer for plot reasons, and this is perfectly alright.
At the same time, an RPer may want their woof to be older, faster, for the same plot reasons. This said, for speedier growings, if you've got 2 RP's under your belt (or your woof's belt) that meet the criteria to consider them 'full' RP's, you may ask to have your woof progress to the next stage.

What's considered a full RP? Simple. If it has a decent opening, middle action, and a solid closing, if can be considered FULL. in fact, this could TECHNICALLY be done in 5 or 6 posts(though honestly, that would be pushing your luck). What we're looking for is not 'how many posts' or 'how many words'. Some times posts don't need a wall of text to be effective. The extra, forced words will take away from the main action and it will be lost.

What we want from those RP's is to see the character GROWING. What a concept, eh? :3

That said

Pup to Child
1-2 weeks

Child to Teen
2-5 weeks

Teen to Adult
5-10 weeks

(Growing times subject to change if deemed... stupid. biggrin May be longer in some cases, may get cut by a lot. Who knows. x3)

:: Pups ::
Wolf pups are born blind and defenseless, their eyes only opening after a few weeks and remain in the den for this time, and a bit after. Their colors will be darker, and muted for added protection from enemies.

:: Child ::
Their eyes are open and the young wolves are finally emerging from the den, ready to play and explore their new world. Careful, these little ones can be quite a handful, their curiosity often getting away from them. Better keep a sharp eye on them.

:: Teen ::
Ah, the teen aged years. Often bold and headstrong, these wolves are ready to find their place in the pack. Positions as alpha's, betas, omegas, outsiders, or even loners start to become more apparent, but until they reach adulthood, normally, they must still rely on the pack.Teen Alpha/Beta
These wolves have shown exceptional skills at a young and a definite head for leadership. They may be in line to take over a pack, or, head out and start their own.
Teen Loner
These wolves haven't exactly gotten along with their pack so far, and will most likely set off on a journey by themselves, possibly to start their own pack, or just live on the outskirts

:: Adult ::
Fully gown now, the wolves are capable of pulling their own weight, and help support the pack. Or have set out on their own and can support themselves. Male or female, spots among the pack as hunters, fighters, or densitters are open to any.Alpha
These are the leaders, usually only 2, one male and one female, to a pack. They are the pack's law, what they say, goes, and usually have the strength to back it up. Hunter, fighters, rarely densitters unless the Alpha Female is with pups.
Beta
This position is a second in command, directly below the alpha. There is not a set number of beta's but it is still a position that must be worked for. Again, they are hunters and fighters, but rarely densitters.
Gamma/Delta
This is the majority of the pack. The common folk. Where they may excel at one thing, they are still below the skill and dominance of the alphas or betas. Fighters at this rank are less common, making up the bulk of the hunting party, and acting as densitters. Positions that require less strength and more brains are also common in this group set, such as healers, seers, trackers, and border patrol (Though teen alpha's may assist in this.)
Omega/Outsiders
These are pack members that... may or may not be pack members for long. Social outcasts, or those that do not take others command well. They will tend to linger on the outskirts of the pack, and generally keep away from the densite, making their own, smaller dens within the territory. While they still rely on the pack for strength and support, they're usually antisocial, often don't agree with the majority of their packs morals, and will often go against pack laws as they live in their 'own little world'. These individuals are most likely to become loners, if they didn't as soon as they reached adulthood.

Lone Wolves
Rogues, exiles, or simply pack outcasts that have left their homes, these wolves do not have a territory, and often wander between. Life for them can be easier, or harder, depending on where they live, and what kind of standings they have with the local pack. Rogues are loners from the beginning, leaving the pack as soon as they're old enough, or simply never having one to start with. Exiles have been forced from the pack BY the pack, and will often bare scars from their banishment. Their standings with packs is usually less favorable, especially with their former home pack. Outsiders are another form of rogue, that while they usually defect from their home pack, may still remain in, or close to that territory, and are still generally accepted by their home pack as a member, even if they themselves no longer live by the law of the pack.

1. Pack- Pack symbol, indication alliance. This may be left blank until a pack is decided upon, though once a pack has been left, a wolf will be considered an Exile, and joining a new pack will be difficult.

5. Generation- Most wolves will be gen 1, as is the default. Gen two will be gen one's children... Gen 3 will be gen 1's grandchildren, OR, gen 2+Gen1's children. In other words, they will be one higher than the highest parent.

6. Mate- Wolves mate for life in MOST circumstances. Thus, once a mate is chosen, they will be added to the certs. It IS possible to change mates, though, the process is a difficult one, and will only be available to RPers. On this same note, Pups may be added into the cert as well, one pup (the one free pup per owner chosen from each litter) will represent the number of litters a mated pair has.

Well.... Because i'm something of a major fail at the moment, pack information will be added as they are formed, and morals/personalities/territories are established. This section will be bare for a while. Uuuunless I figure something out before hand. Heh.

Flatsales
Location: In Thread
Average duration:until gone
Average cost:See FS POST
Availability:Growing, Perma's/ 8-12 pets usuallyStandard Flatsale: Previews are shown, numbered, and it is a first come first served speed sale.
Half-Blind FS: Previews are shown, but not assigned numbers. Instead, each number will be secretly assigned to a wolf, and it will be luck of the draw on which wolf is won. This is also a Speed sale, fist come first served.
Blind FS: There will be no previews on these wolves. It will simply be a 'pick a number and get what you get'. Also Speed sale.

Flaffles
Location: Separate Thread
Average duration:Varried
Average cost:see description
Availability:Growing, Perma's/ 8-12 pets usuallyThere's going to be 2 ways these will be done. The first is the simplest. Tickets may be purchased for 100g a piece, unlimited to how many you can buy, and you will be able to win multiple times if your tickets are drawn more than once (limit 3). Upon winning, each wolf will be at half the normal FS price.
OR
You will be entered for a single number drawing for free, and each wolf will be the normal FS price.

In other words, it will be 100g x Tickets + 1/2 FS price per wolf
OR
free single ticket + Regular FS price

Scavenger hunts
Location: In Thread
Average duration:Varried
Average cost:Free
Availability:Growing/1-4We ask for something. You find it. Usually it is a picture or a quote or a song lyric.
These may be done based on speed, or, after a certian number are submitted, or a time limit is met, We will choose the best, funniest, or most creative and award the winner based on this. We may ask for MULTIPLE things at the same time. Who knows. Expect it to be random~!

Advertising contests
Location: In Thread
Average duration: Ongoing
Average cost: Free
Availability: 2stage / 3perOnce this starts, it's going to be pretty simple. However you can, via Banners, Links, or just Asking friends, one person = one point, but the same person cannot be used twice.

When someone is 'referred' they have to put:"I WAS REFERRED BY _________"
IN THE THREAD

Tallies for this will be kept below.
Since this will be an ongoing thing, there will be a set number of people that you need to refer. That special number will be 13. Why 13 you ask? Because this number is my lucky number, and I say so. For every 13 people, you will get a custom 2stage wolf, Child and Adult, in the lineart of your choice (once separate pack/nomad lines have been made).

Yes. Regardless of if there's 2 pups or... lord help the parents...9, it's still only going to be 10K, split between the owners however they want to (Or owner if breeding your own wolves together) BUT KEEP IN MIND. Once a mate has been decided on for a wolf, that is their mate. (Unless there is sufficient RP to support a reason the mate is to be changed...or for a wolf to be..uh...multi-mated.You come up with reasons and dazzle me, and you can have a mate-hopper, or...something... Also if a mate dies, and RP play out they find a new mate, but the bond of mateship must be present). The only EXCEPTION TO THIS is for Same Sex parent couples. They will need a surrogate..uh.. Other gendered wolf, and this wolf can be any other wolf, mated (with mate's permission of course) or unmated. This act of breeding will not pin the two 'parent wolves' into a mateship with each other. It is simply a gracious act of kindness.

PUPS
The pups will, obviously, be a mix of the two parents, in coloration, markings, and whatever little twists come from elsewhere in the gene pool.

Litters will be at least 2 pup, but can get anywhere up to 9, through a roll of the dice, Sufficient RP, or purchased fertility tokens from 'the shop'. Gender is also based on a random system.

Congratulations if you found this little bit. This here covers the Bribe segment of breeding. It's short, sweet, and to the point.

Custom pup = 5K/each
Extra custom pup(limit 3) = 10K/each

As far as those Customs go, they still have to be based off of the parents.

-Pack Names (4)
-Pack Descriptions/morals/...uh..stuff... This can be changed as people start RPing/different pack leaders emerge, etc, but just as a basic start up guide :3 (not as pressed for this as names, cause.. I suck with names Haha.)

-Area/region names(and small descriptions) for the map (Many/still drawing)
-Should I make different Cert BG's for different areas?

-Lineart
----Should I add another (teen/adolecent) stage?
----Should I add different 'ranked' lineart?
----Should I make pack specific lineart?
----Should I make seperate male/female lineart for the pup stage/make different pup line art in general?

I'm on my mule right now, so pardon that, (my name is Nyowpotopop) but...

----Should I add another (teen/adolecent) stage?
Yes. Very yes. I like to see my growing pets really grow.
----Should I add different 'ranked' lineart?
I don't think that's nessicary but if you do PLEASE make it gendered!
----Should I make pack specific lineart?
I think THAT would be cool, but it may be easier to do pack-specific colors or edit sets.
----Should I make seperate male/female lineart for the pup stage/make different pup line art in general?
Didn't wait for it to load but I think unisex is fine for it.

Xiaflame

I do agree with a adolecent stage and keeping the pup unisex. With an unisex pup stage you could let the owner choose the gender or have a set one.

On Events and Other Ideas~

Choco Billy

I'm on my mule right now, so pardon that, (my name is Nyowpotopop) but...

-Event ideas :3
I like events that have lots of breedings and low-energy things. As someone with a slow computer and little time thanks to my own shop I find it harder to participate in an event that requires lots of time, effort or dolla bills. So I don't like RP-prompts, advertising contests, speed sales or games you have to be in the thread for at certain times. I do like things where I can post a couple times or do something quickly to participate and then focus on other projects. A good example would be a flaffle I recently participated in where you could enter only if you made a suggestion for the shop. Or a quick "Post the funniest X themed image you have/know/make".

-RP storyline ideas
This is also a general idea... I think it would be good to include a neuteral ground where members of any packs can exist. Let's say one pack female mates with another pack's male (especially in line with the pack-unique edits/colors/lines bit) it would be nice for there to be a generic "Packless" space and also an option for more pack in the future. First storyline could be about how the four packs are troubled by the number of packless and cross-over breedings there are. :O Perhaps one pack is all about "pure bloodlines!" and others are more liberal or somesuch. *Feels a Harry Potter House thing going on with this idea* I like plots that are easy to relate to but still fun and also allow for a lot of creation of your own sect or group or whatnot.

Xiaflame

I kind of disagree with some of Nyo thoughts for the events.

I think you need a mix of fast and slow pace events. I love RP-prompts for more special/ high ranking wolves. This way the wolf will go to someone who is more willing to RP and be active with them, and not just someone with lots of gold if they were in an auction. I do prefer Flaffles over speed sales, even if you have five minutes to enter it. When it comes to advertising contest, I would not count them out. They are a good way to bring in new people. What I would do is have it be a raffle. I don't always care for ones that you have to get the most points to win, since if I come in the middle of the event I'm not even going to try. With it being a raffle people who were there the last or get the most people to come will get the better chance, but even the late comer will have a chance to win. Games is also something I would not get rid of, there is just too much to do with them. Plus games can be slow pace, if you want them to be.

For an event theme, at least for the opening event and would just do all kinds of things. Show off what you (and colorists if you are going to hire) can do, and just get the shop filled. Probably more natural colors with some fun colors thrown in. If you really want a theme, then a maybe natural or spring.

So~ You want to be a guest colorist, eh? Or maybe you're looking for a full time spot? Unfortunately, We're not open for this at the moment, but if you want, send a PM to SeimeiLion and you can get put on a notification list for when it does open up :3